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Objective: To examine whether TNF polymorphisms are associated with thymoma and thymoma with myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods: TNF-? and TNF-? genes were analyzed on 36 patients and healthy blood donors using PCR-RFLP. Results: No difference of gene or genotype frequency of TNF-? was higher in thymoma patients (P

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of anisodamine on the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in swine ventricular myocardium after resuscitation from cardiac arrest.Methods The experiment was conducted on healthy pigs, and they were randomly divided into three groups, namely sham group, epinephrine group (control group) and anisodamine group (experimental group, animals were resuscitated combined with injection of 0.4 mg/kg of anisodamine), with 5 pigs in each group. Model of ventricular fibrillation was reproduced by alternating current challenge, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed 8 minutes after cardiac arrest. Left ventricular myocardium was harvested at 24 hours after restoration of spontaneous circulation. The expression and distribution of Cx43 were observed by immunofluorescence, Cx43 mRNA expression was assessed with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the protein expressions of Cx43 and phosphorylation of Cx43 (p-Cx43) were analyzed by Western Blot.Results The positive expression of Cx43 in ventricular muscle was distributed uniformly, mostly at the end-to-end linkage of myocardial cells, with a few side-to-side linkage in sham group. The positive expression of Cx43 in control group was significantly weaker than that in the sham group, and the signal intensity was significantly declined (4.35±2.10 vs. 10.02±3.66,P< 0.01). The positive expression of Cx43 at the end-to-end linkage and side-to-side linkage was irregular in experimental group, and the signal intensity was obviously higher than that in the control group (7.91±2.54 vs. 4.35±2.10,P< 0.05), but it was significantly weaker than that in the sham group (7.91±2.54 vs. 10.02±3.66,P< 0.05). For control group and experimental group, the Cx43 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower than those of the sham group [Cx43 mRNA (A value): 0.32±0.05, 0.32±0.03 vs. 0.48±0.07; Cx43 protein (A value): 0.43±0.03, 0.50±0.07 vs. 0.65±0.04, allP< 0.01], and there were no significant differences between experimental group and control group (allP> 0.05). The p-Cx43 protein expression of control group was significantly lower than that of the sham group (A value: 0.22±0.03 vs. 0.37±0.06,P< 0.01), and it was significantly higher in the experiment group than that in the control group (A value: 0.29±0.07 vs. 0.22±0.03, P< 0.01), but there was no significant difference with the sham group (P> 0.05). No significant difference in p-Cx43/Cx43 was found among sham, control, and experiment groups (0.57±0.09, 0.51±0.05, 0.58±0.06, all P> 0.05).ConclusionAnisodamine can improve the abnormal expression of Cx43 in ventricular muscle of pigs with cardiac arrest, which may be related to the protection effect of anisodamine on cardiac conduction.

OBJECTIVE To study the characteristic of epidemiology of hospital infection among recipients after liver transplantation and to probe into its risk factors.METHODS Totally 193 cases were investigated.The infection group was compared with the non-infection group.Descriptive statistics and risk factor analysis were performed with SPSS11.0.RESULTS Forty nine cases took place infection.The infection rate was 25.4% and the death rate was 20.41%.15 cases(30.61%) happened 2 or 3 time infections.Mid-time of infection was 14d.Twenty six case(30.61%) infection occurred within 4 weeks and 25 cases(51.02%) were on June and July.Pulmonary infection(32.84%),wound infection(31.34%) and abdominal cavity infection(23.90%) were ranked in front.A total of 693 strains were isolated,and Gram-negative(G-) bacilli were 42.14%,Gram-positive(G+)cocci 35.30% and fungi were 22.66%.The three risk factors were obviously correlated with the infection(P

Objective To investigate the influencing factors on serum homocysteine level in healthy retired-elderly people in Tianjin,in order to provide theoretical basis and guidance for clinical intervention therapy.Methods A total of 184 participants meeting the standard of Chinese healthy elderly people (2013) were selected from 1247 retired-elderly people who took healthy physical examination in three grade Ⅲ-A hospitals in Tianjin from June to August in 2014.They were divided into two groups based on plasma Hcy level:hyper-homocystinemia group (≥15 μmol/L) and normal plasma Hcy level group (＜15μmol/L).The influencing factors on plasma Hcy level were analyzed by multiple stepwise regression and logistic regression analysis.Results The proportion of healthy retired-elderly people accounted for 14.76 ％,with men at 82.61％ and women at 17.39 ％,mean age (78.37±6.88) years.The Hcy level was higher in healthy males than in healthy females [(16.90± 6.86) μmol/L vs.(12.89 ± 5.97) μmol/L,P＜0.005].The proportion of people with hyper-homocystinemia accounted for 45.65％,and the mean Hcy concentration was (21.39±6.98) μmol/L.The age of people with hyper-homocystinemia was higher than that with normal Hcy [(80.58±6.09) years vs.(76.56±7.04) years,P＜0.005].There were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure,lipid and blood glucose levels and the proportion of patients with coronary heart disease,hypertension,type 2 diabetes mellitus,gout,periodontitis and other diseases between the two groups (all P＞0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the level of serum Hcy was positively correlated with serum uric acid levels (P=0.000).Multiple stepwise regression and logistic regression analysis showed that age,gender and serum uric acid level were risk factors for plasma Hcy level in healthy elderly people.Conclusions Age,gender and serum uric acid level are risk factors for serum Hey level in healthy elderly people.

When senescence induction is based on DNA damage, senescent cells display a unique phenotype, which has been termed “senescence-associated secretory phenotype”( SASP ) . SASP, including proinflammatory cytokines, growth factors, chemokines, matrix remodeling enzymes and other cytokines, may be an important driver of chronic inflammation and therefore may be part of a vicious cycle of inflammation, DNA damage and senescence. Senescence-associated secretory products released by such cells can affect the neighboring cells and further exacer-bate their regenerative capacity. SASP is associated with many chronic age-related diseases.

Non-coding RNAs ( ncRNA ), including ribosomal RNA( rRNA), transfer RNA( tRNA), MicroRNA ( miRNA), long noncoding RNA(lncRNA) and small nucleolar RNA(snoR-NA), are a class of RNA that have multiple functions and are not translated to proteins. MicroRNA and lncRNA are involved in the injury, remodeling and aging of blood vessels, and it is necessary to understand the regulatory roles of MicroRNA and lncRNA in these processes. It is reported that MicroRNA and lncRNA are not only participated in the regulation of oxidative response, inflammation, cell proliferation and migration, and phenotype transition, they are also involved in the regulation of gene expression by conducting different mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional modification and chromatin remodeling. These aspects of regulation by MicroRNA and lncRNA are related to cardiovascular diseases, such as ath-erosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, pul-monary hypertension and diabetes, and thus provide a new way for genetic diagnosis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND:The osmotic tissue expander is a self-fil ing device consisting of an osmotic active hydrogel which is made of vinylpyrrolidone and mehtylmethacrylate. It can absorb body fluids and swel up gradual y after embedded.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the short-term and long-term regular patterns as wel as histocompatibility of the osmotic tissue expander in vivo.
METHODS:A self-control design was carried out in Wistar rats by embedding the osmotic tissue expander and high-density polyethylene into each side of their spinal column subcutaneously. Wound healing, tissue expansion and inflammatory reaction were detected and compared at different periods after operation.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al the wounds got primary healing. The device expanded fastest at week 1 after the implantation. After being enlarged to about nine times that of the initial size at week 4, the expander slowed down its swel ing. It reached its ultimate volume at week 12 which was about 10 times as big as that of the initial one. Then it remained almost the same size until the end of our design. Pathological sections showed that the inflammatory reaction of osmotic-tissue-expander-group had no significant difference from that of the control group (P>0.05). These findings suggest that osmotic tissue expander has a slow-lasting swel ing ability and good histocompatibility.

Objective To survey a prevalence of osteoporosis and prevalence of osteoporosis combined with hyponatremia in elderly hospitalized patients,and their risk factors.Methods We enrolled 2496 elderly hospitalized patients with detected plasma levels of sodium,calcium,25 (OH) D3,PTH,plasma PINP,and β-CTX.At the same time,sex,age,height,weight,smoking history,drinking history and BMI(kg/m2) in form of a questionnaire were recorded and calculated.The risk factors for osteoporosis were analyzed using multivariate Logistic regression method.Results The osteoporosis prevalence was 12.2％ (305/2496 inpatients)with 31.5 ％ (96/305)in male,68.5％ (209/305)in female(x2 =4.651,P=0.031).The prevalence of osteoporosis with hyponatremia was 27.5 ％ (84/305),with 24.8 ％ (21/84) in male and 75.2 ％ (63/84) in female(x2 =9.251,P=0.025).As compared with three groups of non-osteoporosis,normal serum Na+ with and without osteoporosis,the osteoporosis patients with hyponatremia were more aged,in a higher proportion of women and smokers,in lower BMI,and in low levels of serum sodium,BMD 25(OH)D3 (F=13.783,0.861,7.146,24.520,0.548,x2 =15.113、4.472;P =0.001,0.000,0.021,0.015,0.003,0.021,0.005).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that aging,female,low BMI,smoking history,drinking history,low plasma 25(OH)D3 level,low plasma PINP level,and high plasma β-CTX level were the risk factors for osteoporosis(OR 4.215,2.271,3.176,2.013,1.237,3.987,1.843,1.972;all P＜0.05).Conclusions The osteoporosis prevalence is high in elderly patients,especially in old women.The risk factors for osteoporosis are diverse,and clinical conditions of osteoporosis patients with hyponatremia are much more severe than the others.More efforts should be given to them and need to be focused on the complications of osteoporosis.

{L-End}Objective To study and develop a suitable scale to identify and assess risks of occupational stress in workplaces of enterprises, and to explore the establishment of a workplace occupational stress risk assessment method aimed at guiding enterprises to improve working conditions based on the electronics industry in Beijing City. {L-End}Methods The initial version of the Workplace Occupational Stress Risk Assessment Scale (WOSRAS) was constructed based on literature review and expert evaluation. A total of 1 284 employees from four electronics enterprises in Beijing City were selected as the research subjects using a convenient sampling method. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used to determine the final items of the scale and test its reliability and validity. The method of percentile norms was used to establish risk assessment method for the electronics industry workplace and its stress sources, and the cut-off values of low, medium, high risk was graded by the 50th and 80th percentiles of the total score and the score of each dimension of the risk assessment scale. {L-End}Results i) Based on item analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a WOSRAS consisting of six dimensions and 23 items was constructed, which could explain 63.2% of the total variation of occupational stress. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the root mean square error of approximation and standardized root mean square residual were both <0.080, and the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index were both >0.900. The total criterion validity of the scale was 0.816. The total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.835, and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.802. ii) The cut-off values of WOSRAS scores for high, medium and low risk in electronics industry were <53.0, 53.0-60.0 and >60.0,respectively. According to the result, the workplace stress risk levels of the production, research and development, and logistics departments of the electronics industry in Beijing were medium risk, while the management department was low risk. {L-End}Conclusion The WOSRAS constructed in this study has good reliability and validity. The proposed risk assessment method can reflect the actual risk status of enterprises in the electronic industry and is convenient for widespread application.